lo THE BOOK OF DUCK DECOYS. 



The Position of Decoys ix the British Islands. 



It is pretty certain that Decoys for catching ducks were first used in 

 Lincolnshire and Essex, and that the neighbouring counties of North- 

 ampton. Cambridge, Norfolk. Suftblk. and Yorkshire followed suit. 



The stronghold of Decoys was at and near Holland Fen, Spalding, 

 Crowland, and Lincoln, and more than anpvhere else between Wainfleet 

 and Boston, some of the best being at Friskney. 



This is not a matter of surprise when we consider the intercourse that 

 formerly existed between Holland and the harbours of the Wash b)" means 

 of small trading vessels, as related by local historians of the day. 



So it was also with Essex and Suffolk, for the Dutch were continually 

 trading to the rivers and ports of those counties long ago, both as 

 smusfsrlers, fishermen, and merchants. 



On seeing the immense number of wildfowl that haunted the fens of 

 Lincoln, both near the coast as well as inland, the Dutch naturally either 

 sueeested the making of Decovs in their own interests, or for the friends 

 they visited. They doubtless saw that the wholesale method of driving 

 the ducks was, through various causes, such as drainage and protective 

 laws, going out of use — a method no doubt originally taught by themselves, 

 as the name implied. But they had given up the system too, probably on 

 account of its only being feasible occasionally ; it also required a host of 

 men and boats, the profits were shared by a mob ; in addition to this, the 

 fowl were taken when not full-grown or in good condition. They therefore 

 taught, or at all events assisted, the fenmen to construct Decoys on a much 

 improved principle, and a far more remunerative one to their individual 

 owners. 



But unlike the compact Lincolnshire Decoys, the Decoys of Norfolk 

 till the end of the last century consisted of extensive lakes. To these 

 were attached several pipes, according to the success expected, or after- 

 wards encountered. 



These large straggling lakes were, however, ill adapted for Decoys. 

 \'ery likely they had been previously used for driving fowl, as was the case 

 in Lincolnshire, and that the pipes, when the people took to enticing ducks 

 up them in winter, instead of driving them into them in late summer, had 

 by degrees been greatly reduced in size. 



